Set to Springsteen’s classic “Born to Run,” the Westchase District broke ground Tuesday morning on an off-street hike and bike trail as part of its long-term plan to enhance recreational activities, connect its residents to the city and provide alternative transportation routes.

The district’s new 1.92-mile Brays Bayou Connector Trail (BBCT) will run south from Richmond Avenue to Bellaire Boulevard. It will feature underpasses at Richmond, Westpark Drive, Westpark Tollway, Harwin Drive and Bellaire Boulevard, connecting the city and enabling trail riders to use the amenity completely off-road and without fear for safety.

“I want to applaud the Westchase District for bringing this project to fruition,” said TxDOT Director of Construction Lucio Ortiz. “This kind of connection trail will improve the mobility and safety of pedestrians and cyclists, provide more transportation choices and more.”

The BBCT will feature several additional key connections--ranging from one at Richmond down to the existing Library Loop Trail to a direct connection with the Westchase Park and Ride located on Harwin Drive--to ensure interconnection between city services. Such a connection will enable residents to access METRO bus routes at any time.

“We think this is going to be a big transportation element and part of our bag of tricks in the District,” said Westchase District General Manager Jim Murphy.

Also included in Houston’s newest amenity is a connection to the city-owned Harwin Park in Alief by way of a .70-mile trail and at Bellaire to the Harris County-owned Arthur Storey Park in Sharpstown, as well as with Harris County's future Brays Bayou Trail.

“We like to share this right of way with public entities and it makes a great way to share open space for recreational activities. Harris County has lots of interconnected waterways, and Westchase is taking advantage of those open spaces,” said Sandra Musgrove, infrastructure division designer for the Harris County Flood Control District.

The trail’s 8-to-10-foot concrete surface will also feature benches, water fountains and even a four-piece workout station along with the hiking and biking trails. Such a move seeks to enhance the outdoor experience and encourage what has become an urbanized generation to spend more time becoming acquainted with nature and recreational activities.

Steve Le, councilman for District F of the Houston City Council, said such a initiative is vital as well as fun, even invoking the city’s enduring quip to demonstrate the project’s objectives.

“The old Houston saying is ‘Don’t like the weather? Wait five minutes.’ Nowadays our children don’t understand that saying because most of them will stay indoors,” he said. “We want to revitalize our city as a whole and get the younger generation outdoors more.”

Lee said Houston has become so urbanized that today’s younger generation has no idea what it means to live a lifestyle such as the one he remembers, where he would spend all day on the banks of the bayou.

“Kids nowadays don’t understand what it’s like to have an outdoor, active lifestyle because they don’t see that,” he said.

As a family doctor, Le said he encourages his patients to live such a lifestyle, and the BBCT solves many of the obstacles or excuses brought to him.

“A lot of times they’ll tell me it’s too hot or they have no place to go,” he said. “We want to bring back this revitalization of our city and get people to be healthier.”

Le also praised the city’s different entities for banding together with its vision of a common goal.

“I’m encouraged by what our city leaders are doing and what our state is doing,” Le said. “This is a true congruency of everyone working together to develop a good project and a team spirit for an entire city.”